Payback time for Shrewsbury's Ryan Barnett as he takes step up
Ryan Barnett hopes his continued push to Shrewsbury Town’s first team helps to repay the support of his dad Dave.
The 21-year-old joined Shrewsbury’s academy aged eight and has progressed through the ranks, via three loans at hometown club AFC Telford, to become a regular in the senior squad this season.
Barnett, who lives in the Telford neighbourhood of Dothill, has been supported the length and breadth of the country by his dad and would be watched at the New Bucks Head by mum Kerry.
Sadly, due to the global pandemic, Barnett’s family have been unable to witness his breakthrough – including full League One debut and first senior goals – at Montgomery Waters Meadow first-hand.
“My dad isn’t very happy about it because I don’t think he’s ever missed a game,” Barnett smiled.
“It’s typical that this is the year, when the virus comes about, I make my starting debut for Shrewsbury and he can’t be there. My mum’s the same, she would watch me at Telford.
“They are frustrated they can’t see me. They can watch iFollow. I come home and we talk about the games and they tell me how proud they are.”
Barnett acknowledges the support and influence of his father. He added: “At the academy and youth team with Shrewsbury, we’d play teams like Carlisle and he’d still come and watch.
“At Telford, we played Darlington and Spennymoor on a Saturday that would waste his whole day and he’d come and watch. It’s great for me to repay him because without him I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
Barnett, who attended Thomas Telford School, said: “They’ve been my support and rock this year. We highlighted together it was a big year getting a new deal, that I needed to be pushing into the team because I’m 21.
“They’ve been absolutely massive in my career so far.”
Barnett’s two EFL Trophy goals have come in seven first-team outings this term, which include three league starts.
“I’ve tried to add goals to my game over the last few years, I’ve got quite a good shot on me, I like to think,” he said.
“If you said to an eight-year-old Ryan Barnett that he’d score for the club’s first-team, I think he would have snapped your hand off!”
